Feeding the Fire
by hunnyfresh
Summary: Violet misconstrues Henry's moms relationship when they go horseback riding, and Emma and Regina are caught spying on their son's date


**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any recognizable characters.**

 **AN: I wrote this on the train this morning, and it wouldn't leave me alone. Essentially this is what I took away from 5x04. Mentions of CS and OQ, but it's pre-SQ and SQ assumed as a couple. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"How did you manage to sneak away?"

Henry tried with all his might to appear cool in front of Violet, but it was difficult to do that as he struggled to get his footing onto the horse. Violet easily pulled herself up on top of Nicodemus but when she held her hand out for him, in a show of valiant strength he declined. Already he was mentally kicking himself over the head for taking Killian's advice about being "strong and rugged in front of a lass." Robin's words weren't helpful either. _Woo her,_ was all he said. When he asked for explanation, the archer just insisted that wooing was the way to a woman's heart. What his mom was doing with that guy was beyond him, but Soul Mates and what not. If Emma wasn't constantly having panic attacks, they would be laughing about Robin's _valiant_ ways. Not that Killian was much better, but at least the guy tried to take an interest in him. His foot slipped at the stirrup, and he only managed to get the top of his chest over the horse when he heard Violet giggle.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"I'm fine," Henry gruffed, placing his palms firmly on the saddle and pulling himself up and over. His breathing was erratic, and he was pretty sure he worked up a gross sweat being pressed against the back end of a horse, but he was the son of a queen and a princess. That made him a prince and something else. Horses were easy. He exhaled sharply, feeling lightheaded from the height. This was definitely different than driving a pick-up. "I never realized how big these guys were."

"Nicodemus is just a teenager." Violet patted his head fondly. "You should see my papa's horse."

He squirmed behind her. "Erm, maybe another time."

She giggled again, and with a gentle kick, they were off on a trot away from the stable and towards the tightly packed woods. Henry barely had time to have an existential crisis about where to put his hands when the sudden movement startled him into wrapping around Violet's waist. "Uhm, sorry."

He released his tight hold on her dress, but she just turned her head over her shoulder and smirked. "How else are you going to hold on?"

With her permission, he relaxed, though his grip on her remained appropriate. Not too low on the waist and not too high to cop a feel. Forged memories or not, he remembered the awkward conversation he and Emma had in New York about the birds and the bees, which really just turned into an hour long speech about respecting women and their boundaries and " _Dear god, Henry, please remember that silence does not mean yes._ "

So he ventured and asked, "Is this okay?"

"It's okay," Violent agreed, and Henry released the breath he was holding as he settled behind the girl. "But you didn't answer my question: how did you sneak away?"

"My family is a little busy at the moment."

"I would think the son of the Saviour would have a little more protection."

Flirting, was this flirting? Uncertainly, Henry tested the waters and leaned his head forward so his chin nearly rested on her right shoulder. "Do I need protecting?"

She turned her head to the right so close their breaths mingled. In his head he could hear Killian saying he had done well and Robin commending him for wooing her, whatever that was, but screaming in his ear were his mothers, telling him he was much too young. Well Regina was telling him that, and Emma would be saying he's fine and for Regina to calm down, and it was all too confusing having so many voices in his head that when Violet grinned and cocked a flirtatious eyebrow, they silenced immediately. "I guess you'll have to find out."

He pulled back a respectable distance, a goofy grin permanently etched on his face. This flirting thing was easy. He was building himself up to ask what she liked to do around here, except riding and tending to the family farm of course. The words were on the tip of his tongue when she spoke again.

"What happened to your mothers?"

He furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

"You call them both Mom, but their partners you call them by their name. They must have raised you together once upon a time."

"Oh," Henry said slowly as a breeze picked up, pulling branches down into their path. Technically they did. Everything he actually did with Regina he also remembered Emma being there. They may not have physically been together, but if he didn't recall one mother scolding him for stealing a cookie when he was five it was the other. Then the other shoe dropped as Violet's words registered in his brain. " _Oh_."

"I can't imagine anyone willingly leaving the Saviour," Violet sighed dreamily but Henry was too preoccupied by her assumption.

"Well they argue. A lot. They learned how to fight before they learned how to love," Henry said recalling how they both were so hesitant with him in their early stages of their formative relationships. When the curse broke, Regina seemed be walking on nails around him. His eyes widened when he registered what he said, but before he could clarify, Violet spoke again.

"Papa says that arguing, although scary at times, means that the two people are still willing to try to mend their relationship."

He nodded, but the wind picked up, and her hair was blowing in his face, and honestly, this looked so much cooler in the movies.

"I don't know about my moms, they—" he fumbled for the right words to break it to her that it wasn't what she thought, but then he heard his Dad's voice in his head telling him to take an interest in her interests, and if this was what she wanted to talk about then at least he was an expert in the subject. "They make a great team, even now. They sort of take turns playing the hero, with my mom, erm, Regina, being the Saviour of course, but sometimes even the hero needs saving. My other mom, Emma, she stepped up for her. I think Mom is having a hard time trying to accept that and so she's kind of pushing away. I mean, they journeyed through Neverland to save me."

"Neverland?" He felt a shiver run down her spine, and he straightened and puffed out his chest.

"Yeah, Pan captured me, but I escaped."

"You and your mothers must have been very brave."

"They were pretty cool," he admitted with a goofy grin. He was about to add how he stayed strong in the perils of Neverland, fighting off Lost Boys and shadows, but the wind picked up harshly. It stole the words right out of his mouth and made Violet shriek in surprise.

"Is this normal?" He yelled, shielding them from the wild wind with his arms.

"We should turn back." She pulled the reigns, and led Nicodemus back from where they came. Nico neighed against the wind, but Violet kept urging him forward. Branches began whipping them in the face, and Henry knew if his moms ever found out about this, he'd be so dead. Dark One and Evil Queen be damned, just they as they were, were scary enough. In his need to be gallant and save Violet's face from any gashes while simultaneously protecting himself, he felt himself slipping off the saddle.

He was torn between gripping Violet's dress to stay atop and falling off the horse, but that would mean he'd be bringing them both down. The choice was made for him when a heavy gust of wind knocked him over, and he fell to the ground with a heavy thump. Yup, most definitely he could hear his mothers' anguished cries of " _Henry!"_ when they saw his state. He must have hit his head _really_ hard because he swore he could really hear it. He rolled as the horse and Violet galloped further away, and narrowly avoided smashing his nose against an exposed root. Violet's scream had him up on his feet and running. "Hold on!"

He ran swiftly, grabbing Nico's reins and pulled for him to slow down. The horse was strong though, so he ran with it, keeping a steady hand on Violet as they went, but instead of riding it out, the girl dropped over the side. The teens fell onto the ground, Henry breaking their fall, and as suddenly as the wind started, it had calmed.

"It stopped." Violent looked around the woods as if to find the source of the sudden wind, but all that could be heard was – finally calming down and a few stray twigs cracking in the distance and a few stray rustling trees. It sounded like a small family of squirrels was burrowing in a leaf pile to escape the sudden storm.

"That's weird," Henry agreed. "Are sudden winds a Camelot thing or something?"

She shook her head but beamed down on him. "Knights are. And you saved me."

Henry blushed, realizing their position and that his hands were on her waist. He immediately moved them higher and chuckled, the words not forming in his throat and instead let out an awkward gurgle.

Violet giggled again and pulled herself up, offering her hand to Henry. "How about we just stick to walking for now?"

He grinned and accepted, taking her hand in his as they walked back to Nicodemus not once letting go.

* * *

Somewhere behind him, the source of the wind was grappling in the leaves behind a fallen over tree as Emma and Regina fought to stay hidden yet go after Henry at the same time to make sure he was okay.

"Let me go, Emma!" Regina growled under her breath as the blonde wrapped both arms and legs around the fussing woman. "Did you see how high he fell from? He could have a concussion! Or _worse,_ that girl could be— _kissing it better_ —Emma, let me go!"

"Regina, he's fine," Emma gritted through clenched teeth, narrowly avoiding the older woman's thrashing elbow. "And it was your wind that knocked him down."

"It was a breeze meant to lure the horse back the way they came by strategically moving branches," the brunette argued. "It wasn't until you grabbed my hand that it turned into a tornado."

"Oh, so it's _my_ fault?"

"You're the one who followed him into the woods."

Emma gasped but tightened her hold. "Yeah, and I found you doing the same thing!"

"Just let me go!"

"Moms?" They stopped their squirming and paused. Emma's mumbled " _Christ_ " had Regina ease her flailing limbs, and they both looked up to see Henry and Violet standing above them, the horse held loosely in Violet's grip and the teens still holding each other's hands. "What are you doing?"

Both women floundered, their eyes wide at being caught by their son and his…friend who happened to be a female. Emma released her, and together they scrambled to pull themselves up, shucking loose leaves and twigs off their dresses. Regina smiled, as what she imagined Saviours do, and stepped forward. "Hello, dear, we were just—"

"Collecting leaves." Emma plucked a leaf from Regina's hair and held it out for her. "It matches your dress."

The crumpled red leaf was indeed a striking match for Regina's dress, but the brunette simply pursed her lip and plucked at a green leaf off Emma's collar. "And this one matches your eyes."

"That's sweet," Violet cooed in awe, but Henry continued looking at them like they were crazy.

He pointed from his blonde mother to his brunette one. "Weren't you with—and you were in the—" he shook his head. "Were you _spying_ on me?"

"What? What? No, no of course not." Regina laughed, glaring at Emma from the side of her face to join in with her, and the blonde hung off Regina's side as she joined in on the obnoxious laughter. "No, we were just…collecting leaves."

"Told you," Emma pointed at the teens.

"Then why were you on the ground?" Henry questioned, releasing Violet's hand to cross his arms over his chest. His eyes narrowed and his nose pointed downward at them.

"Your _mother_ ," Regina indicated with a tilt of her head, "is wildly clumsy."

" _I'm_ clumsy?"

"Yes, thank you for making it easier on all of us, dear, and admitting it."

"No, I wasn't admitting it. I did not bring us down. You were the one who nearly tripped over that tree. Did you not see the giant log in your way?"

"Obviously my mind was focusing on other things."

"Oh yeah, like following…the path for leaf collecting."

"And making sure we pick the best leaves for _our collection_."

"Our collection is fine, and if it wants to expand to different types of leaves, then it should."

"I suspect the pirate is brushing off on you."

"Well I'm glad the thief isn't brushing off on you. He leaves his _collection_ alone to get up to god knows what. I mean, have you seen Roland lately?"

"So you're proving my point! We should keep ours away from…Jacarandas."

"What is that?" Emma shook her head. "A purple tree?"

Regina growled and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Of course it's a purple tree. For once, can I ask you for subtly?"

"Says the woman who tripped over herself while she spied on her kid's first date."

"So did you!"

Henry shook his head and reached out to tug Violet away. "I told you they're always arguing."

Violet laughed, casting one last glance at the bickering women as she, Henry, and Nicodemus walked back toward her stables. "It sounds like they're sorting out their differences."

Henry looked back over his shoulder, his mothers arguing not a new image to him, but for the first time since they got to Camelot, he really felt like they'd be okay.

* * *

 **I missed SQ bickering and mama bear mode.**

 **Also, if you guys have a moment would you mind voting up Letters from War over on Inkitt at** **www(period)inkitt(period)com /stories /30228. It's entered in a Fandom contest that ends on the 21st. If you haven't read it yet, it's free to read over there as well!**


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